British Public Service Broadcasting, the EU and Brexit

Figures & data

Table 1. Intercoder reliability data.

Variable	Intercoder Agreement	Kriippendorff’s Alpha
Story Topic	100%	1
Source Type	91.6%	0.642
Source Political Affiliation	79.1%	0.707
Views	78.2%	0.768

Table 2. Source types, by year.

Source type	2007 N (%)	2012 N (%)
Political sources	273 (65.0%)	431 (79.2%)
Media/journalists	36 (8.6%)	40 (7.4%)
Member of the public	18 (4.3%)	11 (2.0%)
Business/private company/economy	12 (2.9%)	10 (1.8%)
NGOs/charities/activists/pressure groups	10 (2.4%)	7 (1.3%)
Academics/expert/science/tech/medical	10 (2.4%)	1 (0.2%)
Think tank	7 (1.7%)	10 (1.8%)
Public sector	7 (1.7%)	5 (0.9%)
Judiciary/legal	6 (1.4%)	5 (0.9%)
Trade union	2 (0.5%)	0 (0%)
Other	39 (9.3%)	24 (4.4%)
Total	420 (100%)	544 (100%)

Table 3. Political party affiliation of source, by year.

Political party affiliation of source	2007 N (%)	2012 N (%)	Broadcast N (%)	Online N (%)	Total N (%)
Conservative	50 (38.8%)	107 (46.9%)	78 (50.6%)	79 (38.9%)	157 (44.0%)
Labour	56 (43.4%)	69 (30.3%)	60 (39.0%)	65 (32.0%)	125 (35.0%)
Liberal Democrat	16 (12.4%)	14 (6.1%)	10 (6.5%)	20 (9.9%)	30 (8.4%)
SNP	0 (0%)	24 (10.5%)	0 (0%)	24 (11.8%)	24 (6.7%)
UKIP	4 (3.1%)	4 (1.8%)	3 (1.9%)	5 (2.5%)	8 (2.2%)
Conservative/Liberal Democrat Coalition	0 (0%)	5 (2.2%)	3 (1.9%)	2 (2.5%)	5 (1.4%)
Plaid Cymru	0 (0%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0%)	2 (1.0%)	2 (0.6%)
Independent	2 (1.6%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	2 (1.0%)	2 (0.6%)
DUP	0 (0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0%)	1 (0.5%)	1 (0.3%)
Ulster Unionist	1 (0.8%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	1 (0.5%)	1 (0.3%)
Alliance	0 (0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0%)	1 (0.5%)	1 (0.3%)
Sinn Fein	0 (0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0%)	1 (0.5%)	1 (0.3%)

Table 4. Online news stories in 2007.

Story topic	Proportion of total coverage	Raw word count
Lisbon Treaty	43.2%	10,950
Regulation & consumer/environmental protection	16.2%	4110
Crime and anti-terror legislation	13.0%	3298
EU aid to UK	4.3%	1099
British Bill of Rights/Constitution as counterpoint to EU legislation	4.3%	1098
EU immigration policy	4.1%	1047
EU's trade and diplomatic links to the developing world	2.8%	704
Gordon Brown's speech on The UK’s relationships to EU & US	2.8%	701
Debate on whether Tony Blair will become President of EU Council	2.6%	660
Incorrect EU budget accounts	2.4%	597
EU support for Galileo sat-nav system	1.7%	436
EU economic forecast	1.2%	313
Trade dispute over French support to national air carrier	0.8%	203
BBC website shortlisted for EU award	0.6%	145
Total	100%	25,361

Table 5. Broadcast stories in 2007, by programme.

	Lisbon Treaty	Crime/anti-terrorism	Regulation/environment	Immigration	Subsidies to wealthy landowners	EU Citizens' Summit	Incorrect EU budget accounts	Total secs
News at Ten	66.3%	–	–	16%	–	–	17.7%	1063
Newsnight	72.6%	–	10.0%	–	–	16.6%	0.8%	2494
Breakfast News (TV)	41.7%	–	27.2%	29.9%	1.2%	–	–	1189
Today	74.9%	1.3%	21.7%	1.4%	0.7%	–	–	5551
Breakfast (Radio)	84.9%	15.1%	–	–	–	–	–	79
Newsbeat	100%	–	–	–	–	–	–	84
Total secs	7322	83	1776	601	56	415	207	10,460

Table 6. The range and frequency of arguments on the Lisbon Treaty.

Argument	Frequency
Referendum needed on ratification of Lisbon Treaty	41
Treaty is the same as rejected EU constitution	31
Referendum not needed on ratification of Lisbon Treaty	30
Red lines/national interest secured in Treaty	29
Labour betrayal/will forfeit trust because promised referendum on further EU integration	25
Treaty different from previously rejected EU constitution	20
Treaty means further loss of sovereignty/democratic deficit/EU superstate	16
Red lines not secure/not sustainable	13
No extra powers are being ceded to EU	10
Treaty will be 'step forward'/allow EU to act	7
Conservatives split over EU	6
There should be a referendum on EU membership	6
Britain shouldn't sign Lisbon Treaty	5
Treaty complex/difficult to explain to public	5
Lisbon Treaty/EU membership good for UK economy	5
Not supporting Treaty will isolate UK in Europe	3
Public opinion is against Treaty	2
Labour promised referendum on constitution not Lisbon Treaty	1

Table 7. Online stories in 2012.

Story Area	Proportion of total coverage	Raw word count
EU budget negotiations	42.0%	18,226
Future of an independent Scotland in EU	24.1%	10,501
Debate over the future of Britain in the EU	11.4%	4926
Regulation & consumer/environmental protection	5.9%	2543
Labour's changing stance on EU	5.1%	2203
EU banking reform	4.5%	1956
EU plans for female quotas on company boards	3.7%	1593
EU aid to UK	1.9%	811
Calls for elected President of EU	1.4%	616
Total	100%	43,375

Table 8. Broadcast stories in 2012.

	EU Budget	EU Criminal Justice	EU Banking reform	Labour's changing stance on EU	EU plans for female quotas on company boards	Total Secs
News at Ten	74.4%	23.7%	1.9%	–	–	1179
Newsnight	100%	–	–	–	–	1681
Breakfast News (TV)	44.7%	14.4%	–	–	40.9%	792
Today	67.9%	8.4%	16.1%	0.6%	7.0%	9588
Breakfast (Radio)	100%	–	–	–	–	602
Newsbeat	100%	–	–	–	–	14
Total secs	10,036	1202	1566	54	998	13,856

Table 9. The range and frequency of arguments on the EU budget negotiation.

Argument	Frequency
Britain pushing hard for best deal which is real terms freeze/cut not possible/will use veto if necessary	69
EU budget should have a real terms cut	55
Europe is a problem for Conservatives/Conservatives are split	41
Labour is being hypocritical/cynical/opportunistic in opposing real term freeze	24
Britain should get a referendum on EU membership	18
Britain becoming isolated/unpopular in EU because of budget wrangles/Euroscepticism	14
Public opinion has moved against EU/in favour of renegotiating relationship with Europe	12
EU states pushing for budget cut/freeze	11
Britain should leave EU	10
Britain needs to repatriate powers from EU	9
EU spending needs reform/different priorities – less CAP more R&D infrastructure	8
Britain should remain in Europe because we can't extract ourselves from negotiations	7
Britain should remain in Europe because it is good for business, influence and security	7
Budget should get real terms increase	5
Conservatives united on Europe	5
Cutting budget would damage spending on infrastructure/R&D/education	4
Referendum on EU membership not necessary	4
Britain benefits from EU structural aid	3
EU budgets need more transparency	2
More of EU budget should got to smaller nations	1
Public opinion is badly misinformed – exaggerates costs and doesn't appreciate benefits – of EU membership	1